Night's Embrace
by SarcasticSnow
Summary: Ash and Serena find themselves slowly becoming more than "Just friends". (Amourshipping) Recommend read only chapter 1, later chapters are if you really need a closing.
1. Chapter 1

It was that time of the year when the leaves started to change color and the days became shorter and the nights longer. The sun was beginning to descend behind the peak of the nearest mountain and the orange rays reflected off the leaves already on the ground.

Yet another day had gone by and for Serena the same thing was on her mind. Ash. It was becoming a bit of a routine for her to be thinking of him when her mind started to wander. Random details like his laugh, his hair and what might be under his clothes…

She suddenly gasped as a deep crimson blush appeared on her face. She mentally scolded herself for thinking of such things yet she couldn't help but enjoy the thought...

"Hey Serena are you ok?" Serena startled, turned around to address the speaker. It was Ash. Yet another blush.

"Yep everything's fine! Just zoned out for a minute." She smiled at the boy who looked both concerned and confused. She thought to herself how compassionate Ash was without him ever realizing it. He really was something special.

"Well if something's bothering you just let me know, ok?"

"Will do" She said while blushing again. Ash failed to notice. Serena sighed, that doesn't mean he can be oblivious sometimes.

The group was camping out at a lean to off of the side of the trail as to save some time and to stay out of the elements should it rain. It was big enough that all four of them could easily sleep in it together. The surrounding area was a basic campsite with a firepit that was being used by Clemont, the group's main cook. He was preparing dinner while his little sister, Bonnie was playing with the three older trainer's pokemon in the grass nearby. Laughter could be heard from the innocent yet incredibly mature little girl. Everything in her world might as well have been perfect.

Serena couldn't help but feel jealous of Bonnie's ignorance of just what kind of pain could be felt with growing up.

"Dinner's ready!" Shouted Clemont, snapping Serena out of her thoughts.

"All right I'm starving!" yelled Ash in reply as he charged towards the firepit to claim his dinner. Serena couldn't help giggling at his behavior.

After dinner Clemont and Ash went off to a nearby river to wash the dishes and Serena was left alone with Bonnie back at the lean to. Bonnie was obviously tired and starting to slow down.

Meanwhile the sky was beginning to darken. Clouds were forming quickly and the sun was almost hidden from the camp's view. Serena thought it would be smart to begin setting up for the night so they wouldn't be fumbling around in the dark. However one thought crossed her mind.

The lean to was completely open so what was stopping a wild pokemon like Ursaring from attacking them at night? Not to mention the thunder that could be heard in the distance. What if a storm hit them?

Rather slyly Serena arranged the sleeping bags so that Ash and Clemont were on the outside while Serena and Bonnie were on the inside of the formation. Serena blushed as she put her bag next to Ash's. She would feel a lot safer if she slept next to him tonight. She then cleaned up the camp a little and retired to tending to the fire.

Footsteps could be heard as Ash and Clemont returned from the river. Both of them exhausted and cold from a hard day of traveling in the mountains. The sun had finally dipped below the horizon and the headlamps were broken out. The four traveling companions sat around the warm fire talking about everything from Ash's latest gym battle to Bonnie's goals when she became a trainer in a few years. After some silence, Bonnie let out a yawn and leaned on Clemont's shoulder.

"Bonnie and I are gonna go to bed, see you in the morning you two." Clemont carried Bonnie to the lean to placing her in her sleeping bag before climbing into his own. Light snoring could be heard as the duo transcended into sleep.

Ash and Serena remained sitting next to each other at the fire in a comfortable silence.

Serena's mind began to wander like it did earlier. Noticing how the fire's flickering orange light bounced off of Ash's face and arms. How she wanted to be held by those arms…. should she say something before it gets awkward?

Before she got the chance though, Ash spoke up.

"What are you thinking about?" He said with a yawn.

"N-Nothing" She replied quickly and turned her head to hide her blush. Not that is was visible in the near darkness.

"If you say so" said Ash with another yawn. "Man I'm tired."

"Yeah me too" replied Serena.

A far away boom could be heard and the wind started to pick up. "Looks like that storm is going to hit us after all" Serena said quietly.

"We should probably get to bed" Ash said while looking in the direction the thunder came from.

"Yeah that would be smart" Said Serena absent-mindedly.

Both Ash and Serena started towards the lean to. The wind started to blow harder and it got noticeably colder. Serena smiled as she looked at Bonnie who was leaning her head on Clemonts chest in an attempt to get warmer. Serena thought it might be funny to tease her about it in the morning. She had really become like her big sister.

Ash had already climbed into his sleeping bag and was beginning to curl up and go to sleep. Serena claimed her spot between Ash and Bonnie with a small blush as she realized exactly how close she was to Ash. She could feel his body heat radiating off of him and watched his chest rise and fall with his slow breathing.

Suddenly a bright flash with a louder boom following it startled both Ash and Serena as they were still awake. Serena let out a little yelp and Ash looked over at her.

"Sorry" She said bashfully.

"Don't worry about it" Ash said back with a warm smile.

Their faces were really only inches apart. Serena suddenly felt incredibly self conscious as she stared into his amber eyes. Ash stared back into her powerful blue ones.

Another flash and this time a deafening boom immediately afterwards. Rain started pelting down on the roof of the lean to and into the fire pit's red coals. Both Clemont and Bonnie were awakened by this one. Serena's eyes opened wide and she grabbed Ash surprising both herself and Ash alike.

"Um...are you alright Serena?" Ash asked with confusion and concern in his voice.

Serena didn't reply as another bolt of lightning hit nearby. Instead she buried her face into Ash's chest and hugged him tighter. Ash out of instinct hugged her back and whispered quietly into Serena's ear that everything was ok. He was still very confused but completely willing to help Serena is any way she needed.

Serena had calmed down by now but was immensely enjoying herself. She decided she could fake it for a while just to be held by Ash like this. His body heat was starting to make her drowsy. She felt herself melt in his embrace and closed her eyes. She soon fell into a comfortable sleep with a smile on her face.

Ash meanwhile could feel Serena's breasts against his body. He developed a blush of his own which was pretty rare for the confident trainer. He too was beginning to succumb to the body heat of Serena. His mind however was thinking about things completely new to him. He felt himself "attracted" to this girl sleeping on him. He had always thought of her as one of his best friends but then again there always this weird sort of feeling he got in his stomach when he thought about her. He had never encountered it before with his other female traveling companions. He struggled to describe it. It was like a warm fluttering sensation that he had really come to love.

Soon enough Ash's eyes slowly closed, but before he drifted into his own slumber, he swore he saw a smile on Serena's face.

Little did they know that Bonnie was watching them after being woken up by the thunder which had now passed. She had a huge grin on her face as she looked at the two in each other's embrace. She thought to herself just how close Ash and Serena were about to come in the next few days.


	2. Chapter 2

Serena had woken up to the sound of birds chirping in the crisp autumn air as the sun rose over the horizon and spread bright natural light over the mountains. The morning was nothing like the night before. The sky was clear and the wind was at a standstill. Rays of sunlight cut through the chilly air with their delicate yet powerful warmth. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, watching her breath vaporize in the cold. Still adjusting to her surroundings, she noticed she was still holding dearly onto Ash who was snoozing soundly. Serena beamed from ear to ear and thought 'Today is going to be a good day'.

A sizzle was heard outside the lean-to, Clemont was making breakfast on the fire. It smelled amazing and Serena sat up.

"Hey Serena, sleep well?" Clemont said with a knowing look.

"Yeah, yeah I did.." Serena replied modestly with a blush. "What are you making?" She asked in an attempt to change the topic.

"Pancakes and hot chocolate, It should be ready in about ten minutes, why don't you get dressed and ready for the day? Bonnie should be back from getting firewood soon."

"Alright, but should I wake Ash?" Said Serena tentatively as she glanced at the boy still out cold.

"Nah, the smell should wake him up soon, you know how he is with food." Clemont said reassuringly.

Ash as if on cue stirred and got up, sniffing the air.

"Man what's cookin'?" He said stretching with his eyes still closed.

Both Clemont and Serena couldn't help laughing at Ash's innocent expression as he got his bearings.

"Good morning Ash! How did you sleep?" Serena said cheerily.

"Really well Serena" He said with a warm smile looking at the girl to his side. Serena turned away and her face turned red as she remembered how the two had fallen asleep. She noticed Clemont smirking and blushed even harder.

After Bonnie had returned and Ash and Serena had gotten dressed, breakfast was served. The pancakes were eaten quickly and hungrily by Ash and relatively normally by the others.

Serena drank her hot chocolate slowly, smiling after every sip as she felt the warmth it provided sweep through her body. She stole a glance at Ash who was sharing his mug with Pikachu. They both had chocolate mustaches and were laughing hysterically at each other. Ash looked up and noticed Serena watching him. He had a blank look on his face for half a second before laughing and pointing to Serena's lip motioning that she had a mustache of her own.

Serena blushed and quickly wiped it off before giggling herself. Arceus he was cute when he acted like this. Which was pretty often considering his personality.

As Serena walked away to go join Bonnie, Ash watched her leave and found his eyes wandering to her hips and started thinking himself. 'Huh, she looked adorable just then. What? Adorable? That's new, I've never used that word for something before.' Suddenly a sudden clench of his muscles and pain that he recognized instantly as Pikachu shocked him. Pikachu had noticed Ash's zoned out look and decided to bring him back in its own way. Pikachu looked at him questioningly.

"Pika?"

"Sorry Pikachu, just thinking." Ash turned to his long time partner and showed him his classic grin.

 **Sorry about the really long wait for a new chapter and its short length. Unusually busy past week and a half for me with the soccer season coming to a close, recent college visit, my sister's birthday, and a trip to the Adirondacks where most of the inspiration for this story came from. More frequent, as in a LOT more frequent updates are coming. That I can promise.**


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the day had been relatively tedious. The group had resumed the daily grind of walking to their next destination. Fortunately the view was breathtaking. The altitude was still low enough that all of the trees could remain and they had made complete advantage of it. The colors were vibrant and showcased the full beauty of autumn. The oranges, reds, purples, yellows, and browns mixed with the green pines was something one could only see in a location this remote. There was something astounding about seeing nature in all of its true power, untouched by human influence.

"Wow. Just...wow." Said Serena as her eyes widened at the sight.

The group had stopped in a clearing where some of the tree's had parted to allow them to see their surroundings.

"Truly amazing." Remarked Clemont as sunlight glinted off of his glasses.

"I want to see it too!" Said Bonnie as she climbed onto a nearby rock to see over the little tree's in front of her. As she reached the top of the rock, she suddenly stopped. The little girl had never seen something quite like this before. She had spent her entire life in the city and the journey was full of new things for her.

"What do you think Ash? You've been unusually quiet." said Clemont noticing the raven haired trainer's blank look as he stared out into the mountains.

"Beautiful…" He said quietly. However he was only looking in the direction of the mountains. His eyes were truly focused on Serena who was standing in the sunlight. The sun was making her hair shine as if it was glowing and her blue eyes were powerfully seizing control in the sea of warm colors. As she realized Ash was actually looking at her face flushed a deep crimson.

'Was he talking about me? No Clemont asked about the view didn't he? Or am I the view? No I'm overthinking this, Ash was obviously talking about the mountains wasn't he?'

Bonnie grinned evilly as she realised what was happening. "Ooooh-" she started to say before Clemont cut her off.

"We're burning daylight, let's get moving guys."

"Right, the sooner we get to this town the better in my book." Replied Ash, who was scratching his nose which was what he usually did when nervous.

'Did I really just say that out loud? Practically to her face? And Beautiful? First adorable and now this. What is going on with me?'

Serena meanwhile was walking behind the rest of the group and keeping an eye on Ash.

'Does he have feelings for me? I didn't think he knew what romance was. Ugh I'm overthinking again, don't flatter yourself Serena. He only thinks of battling and getting from Point A to Point B. I bet he doesn't even think of me like I do. Everything he's done has been purely out of kindness.'

The toxic thoughts and doubting were really beginning to take their toll on Serena. All of the pent up feelings weren't exactly healthy. She looked pained as she walked. Only putting one foot after another and watching for rocks or mud. Bonnie noticed this and started to fall back before walking next to Serena. The small girl grabbed her "bigger sisters" hand.

"What's wrong Serena? You look like you're in pain." Bonnie said quietly so the boys ahead wouldn't hear her.

Serena faked a smile and looked down at the worried child. "It's nothing Bonnie, just tired of walking I guess. Sorry for worrying you."

Bonnie despite being young was very intelligent, like her brother although more socially intune, and wasn't convinced. "I'm not stupid Serena, I know something's wrong."

Now Serena was slightly annoyed that Bonnie wouldn't just leave her to her sorrows.

"Is it Ash?" Bonnie said more quietly. "You're thinking about him aren't you."

"What!?" Serena quickly looked up and smiled and waved to Ash and Clemont who had turned at the sudden cry.

"Sorry! Nothing to worry about!" Serena said with a smile. Ash and Clemont looked at each other and shrugged.

"What do you know about that?" Serena turned back to Bonnie with a harsh whisper.

"Again Serena. I'm not stupid, I know you like him. It's pretty obvious actually."

At hearing this, Serena blushed and finally looked defeated.

"Fine, you're right. I like him. No I'm past that. I'm in love with him." Serena said while looking at the ground.

"I think he might be developing some feelings for you too." Bonnie said while looking serious at Serena. For such a little girl and not even old enough to be a trainer she certainly was mature. "Earlier this morning, he was talking about you you know."

"Don't be ridiculous Bonnie, Ash was obviously talking about the view. He wouldn't notice me like that."

"I beg to differ Serena. I saw him holding you last night. He seemed to be enjoying himself if you ask me."

"Wha..you saw that?!" Serena asked with wide eyes and embarrassment. She had completely forgot about last night.

"Yeah after the thunder woke me up, I couldn't fall asleep for a while and I noticed you and Ash holding each other. I don't think he would do something like that just out of kindness." Bonnie said knowingly. "He might not be as dense as you think. He might even know himself, although that would might be a bit of a stretch."

"I don't know Bonnie. I feel like I would be lying to myself if I thought that he had feelings for me too."

Suddenly the two girls were interrupted from their conversation as the two boys ahead of them called from farther ahead.

"Hey guys! I think we're at the summit of one of the foothills!"

Serena sighed, put on a smile, and called back.

"We're coming!"

 **Well here is chapter three. I know there was a lot of dialogue and maybe even too much but I'm still learning how to write these. Oh well, I know how I want to end it and that chapter can be expected soon!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Finale

" **Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!"** _ **(Dr. Seuss)**_

 **I suppose life could be seen like mountains. Mountains don't move, they stand by idly waiting for someone to approach them and climb them. Then at the top the person can see just how far they've come. Life is real bitch sometimes but it can be conquered. Get that test grade, ask out your crush, stop smoking, climb that mountain. Why the talk about mountains and life's problems you ask? Well if you have been paying careful attention to the story you will have noticed where the characters are currently located and Serena's problem. The rest can be figured out yourselves. Now finally about my absence. I realize that at the end of the last chapter I said expect the next chapter soon...well that didn't happen. To be honest I lost interest in Pokemon for a bit and lost time to write but it felt shitty to just leave the story here. so here is the long awaited end of Nights Embrace:**

"Oh wow…"

Serena gasped as she took in the view at the top. It was mostly bare rock and there was a small wind blowing consistently. Looking out she could see the shadows of the small clouds moving over the red, yellow, orange, and green trees below. There was a small lake embedded between two larger peaks and the sun was shining brightly.

"Really is something." said Ash, Serena glanced at him for a moment until a faint rumbling could be heard from Ash's stomach. The boy smiled sheepishly.

"Er I suppose we could eat lunch at the top." Said Clemont as Serena and Bonnie giggled at Ash's typical food requirements.

After a meager lunch consisting of peanut butter wrapped in tortillas as they were the few ingredients left, Ash noticed Serena sitting by herself at the edge of a large rock staring out at the horizon. The rock was good distance away from the group's main location and nearby the edge of the summit. He slowly walked over and sat down on her right.

"Hey whatcha thinkin' about?" Ash asked.

"Hm? Oh nothing important." Replied Serena ' _That was a lie'_ she thought.

"That was a lie, I might not be very good at reading emotions but I can tell when something is bothering you...you are aware you can tell me anything and I would never judge you right?" Ash replied tentatively.

Serena breathed deeply and looked around to be sure Bonnie and Clemont were occupied somewhere else. ' _I can't deal with this pain anymore I have to do this.'_ She thought ' _Now or never'_.

"I'm sorry Ash, you're right something is bothering me and I'm not sure how much longer I can deal with it alone. You see I...I….um." Serena breathed deeply in again and looked at Ash, there was genuine concern in his amber eyes as they showed support for her, the wind was blowing his messy raven hair into an even messier state. Ash gave a small smile and grabbed Serena's right hand in his left.

Serena blushed a little as she felt his warm hand close over her cold one, shielding it from the wind.

"Ash can I tell you a secret?" She slowly turned towards him. Looking past him she could see just how perfect this spot was. It seemed as if she had climbed a literal and figurative mountain. She had been dealing with all these pent up emotions for so long now, no more pain. When Ash had held her in his arms that night she felt like had experienced pure happiness and knew she wanted to spend the rest of her nights like that with this boy. The nerves were beginning to go away and she started to feel comfortable by his side with her hand in his grip telling her that he could never let go of her. Seeing Ash nod, she smiled back."

"You see Ash, I suppose it starts a really long time ago back at that summer camp, when I got lost I had felt abandoned and tired. You came over with no intention of finding me but you helped me up and took care of me." No going back now as she looked to see if Ash was paying attention and saw he was hanging on every word. When I left, I just couldn't stop thinking about you for so long and actually began to lose hope. She drew another long breath. "But then I saw you jump from Lumiose tower and knew it was you. It had to be you, only someone like Ash Ketchum could do such a thing for his pokemon."

Ash was quiet but felt his heart start to beat faster and faster as he slowly realised what she was getting at. Serena continued.

"I suppose what I'm trying to tell you is that I had...well...had a crush on you." The wind seemed to pick up and everything seemed to be louder as Serena suddenly became self-conscious. There it was out in the open but she couldn't stop there, not while she was on a roll.

"Shortly after starting to travel with you, the feelings never left and even became stronger. It began to hurt even, and I was too shy to ever do anything about it. Then after that night we spent together, I knew that…." She paused briefly as her face contorted into several expression trying to force the words out. "I knew Ash that I forever and always will love you. That's my secret."

Ash was a little taken aback as he heard what she said, then processed it properly, and was stunned. The girl he found himself having these strange feelings for just confessed the same feelings to him. There was some silence as they looked at eachother and Serena began to doubt herself again. "Listen Ash I didn't mean to-"

"No! No don't be sorry Serena, I actually want to tell you something too." Ash grinned anxiously and clenched Serena's hand a little tighter. "I have been feeling some feelings that I just don't quite know how to explain. I get butterflies in my stomach whenever I approach you and feel myself craving to hear your voice or see your smile. You've always been there for me and cheered me on at all my battles, and you always worried when I did something stupid like jump out of a plane or into a volcano." He started to blush and feel really warm all of a sudden. "I know I'm utterly crap at seeing things or explaining my emotions but I guess what I'm trying to say Serena is that." A pause as Serena began to nod and Ash looked into her eyes again and knew that this was right. "I guess I'm trying to say that I-I I'm i-in love with you."

' _That word again. Love. It feels..nice.'_ Ash thought as it seemed a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders and he could breathe again.

Serena suddenly inhaled as she heard those words. She felt a whole new wave of happiness crash into her as she came to terms with what the boy of her dreams had just said. Looking down and noticing that their hands were still interlocked she slowly shifted until she was right next to Ash. Ash was grinning uncontrollably and slowly reached around and pulled her into his arms.

Serena closed her eyes as she fell into his embrace and squeezed her arms around his back. She was close to crying now. The wind no longer seemed to be blowing and a whole new warmth engulfed the new couple. Serena felt an enormous relief as her heart was freed from its shackles of silence. While Ash was still turned towards the landscape ahead, Serena was now looking at Clemont and Bonnies spot and noticed them watching the her and Ash. Serena suddenly got a sly idea and whispered into Ash's ear.

"Ash can I show you something?"

"Yeah sure anything Serena." Ash said quietly back.

Serena reluctantly pulled herself off until she was right in front of him then grabbed his face tenderly and slowly moved closer. She planted her lips tenderly on his own and closed her eyes at the sudden jolt of electricity between the two. Ash's eyes went wide for half a moment before he too closed his eyes and lightly pushed back returning the kiss. Serena again pulled herself away and could hear Bonnie's cheering in the background. She looked into the sky as the sun came out from behind a cloud and Serena knew that they would spending the night again in each other's embrace.

 **And on that bombshell… well I suppose I learned a lot. I know something I should have done was planned this out better, most of the writing was spur of the moment and just came to me as I typed it out, another was not setting myself up and having to improvise after Chapter 1. It was originally a one shot so I saw that as more of an ending then another starting point. Anyways I'll hopefully be writing again soon, Merry late Christmas and Happy New Year :)**


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